Carried by Light: Celebrating 15 Years of Morningside Lights
A visual celebration of 15 years of Morningside Lights, showcasing the community, artistry, and themes behind the beloved annual lantern procession
Carried by Light: Celebrating 15 Years of Morningside Lights is the first exhibition to gather photographs from every year of this beloved tradition. Curated by Lauren Bailey Cognetti, the exhibition traces the project’s evolution from its inaugural procession in 2012 to its emergence as one of New York City's most distinctive community-based public art events. Through images of lantern-making workshops, shared moments in Morningside Park, and vibrant illuminated processions, visitors will encounter the artistry, joy, and imagination that have sustained Morningside Lights across fifteen years.
The exhibition in the Miller Theatre lobby will open to the public for two hours prior to events throughout the 2026-27 season at Miller Theatre.
“Morningside Lights began fifteen years ago with a small team and a simple idea: that making art together could bring a community closer. Since then, more than 25,000 participants have helped shape lanterns, stories, and shared moments. This anniversary is a moment to look back with gratitude, and to look forward with excitement to all those who will continue to carry this tradition forward.”
Overview
Timeframe 1965 (2025)
“Timeframe 1965” celebrated the images, icons, and influences of the year 1965. That transformative year—also the year Columbia University's School of the Arts was founded—sparked a wave of experimentation and social consciousness that still fuels contemporary life and art-making.
In Retrospect: 100 Years of New York Art (2024)
“In Retrospect - 100 Years of New York Art” looked back on how a century of New York artists, illustrators, artworks, and visual movements have shaped our image of where and how we live.
The Open Book (2023)
“The Open Book” celebrated the free exchange of ideas, with lanterns that represented the books that have inspired, enlightened, or shaped how we see the world.
The Reimagined Monument (2022)
“The Reimagined Monument” created the opportunity for unique, personal reflection on how we memorialize—a shared, collective reimagining of public statuary.
Play On! (2021)
“Play On!” was inspired by the intersection of Duke Ellington and Shakespeare and explored how the act of play helps us find personal meaning and resilience within collective traditions.
Harlem Night Song (2020)
Morningside Lights connected to the spirit of Harlem through “Harlem Night Song” (a poem by Langston Hughes), with lanterns that illuminated the poem and embodied its spirit of togetherness in dark times.
Island (2019)
Columbia University’s Year of Water set the scene for "Island" which resulted in a chain of glowing islands with a shared vision to remind us that, in the end, none of us is an island.
Flight (2018)
"Flight" honored the resilience and hope of populations on the move—avian and human—and celebrated the vitality and diversity that migrations have always brought to New York.
The Secret Gardens (2017)
Morningside Lights celebrated “The Secret Gardens” of Harlem with illuminated birds, animals, flowers, honey bees, musical instruments, and more.
Morningside Lights: TRAVERSE (2016)
Morningside Lights: TRAVERSE celebrated the Pulitzer Prize centennial and inspired lanterns illuminating favorite passages from poets who have won this distinctive honor.
New York Nocturne (2015)
“New York Nocturne" inspired participants to create fantastical evocations of the city after dark.
Odysseus on the A Train (2014)
Romare Bearden's 1977 collage series "A Black Odyssey" set the wheels in motion for Morningside Light's own epic "Odysseus on the A Train."
The Luminous Deep (2013)
A sea-floor fantasy of luminescent life forms emerged from the workshops and lit our way from Morningside Park to the Columbia University campus as participants explored the theme “The Luminous Deep,” set to an original score by Nathan Davis.
The Imagined City (2012)
“The Imagined City” featured illuminated skyscrapers soaring high above the crowds through Morningside Park.
Exhibition photography credits: 2012 by Shawn Brackbill; 2013 by Karli Cadel and Anna Chana Demidova; 2014 by Matthew Murphy; 2015 and 2016 by Karli Cadel; 2017 by Richard Termine; 2018 and 2019 by Michael Seto; 2020 and 2021 by participants; 2022 by Jen Phanomrat, Leonardo Samanamud, and Adrienne Stortz; 2023, 2024, and 2025 by Cherylynn Tsushima.